Poles

and pillars outside temples have the same significance; and to these even Vishniivas and Buddhists kneel (especially when praying for offspring) as specimens of the “ Davja Stambh,” or “holy pillar” which is found in every shrine. We have seen women lying stark naked before such a pillar in the Chandra-gutha temple in N.W. Mysore. Mr Nara-simmiyen-gar (Indian Antig., May 1882) describes such worship, often leading to immorality, At Deo-garh (see that heading) we were a ured that women anxious for offspring sometimes strip in their homes, and smearing themselves with pigments go, in troops, naked to the shrines, lying before the sacred pillars and poles till priests and attendants give them an ablution, and garments in which they rise to worship. This rite is a form of “sitting Dharna,” or self “murder” (Hatya), since they die if neglected, when punishment is inflicted by Government on all concerned. The reputation of a temple suffers if such devotions do not result in the desired boon, and priests do their best to avoid this. When the Tartars, and the Moslems, invaded India they despoiled the rich lingam shrines, and especially the “Twelve great Lings,” after the three greatest of which the Tri-linga, or Telagu land was named. Some of these symbols were very large (see Banaras), and in this sacred city, at the Baidya-nath temple, some 300,000 persons will a emble on “ Siva’s night” (14th of Phalgun), to celebrate his “enlargement” when he became an infinite column (see Bengal Rl. Asiatic Socy. Jowrnal, LII, i: and Rivers of Life, ii, p. 475). The twelve great lingams of India are noticed in the Kedara Kalpa (of the Nandi Upa-Purana), in which Siva says, “I am omnipresent, but especially in these 12 forms, and places”:—; 1. Soma-natha, in Surashtra (Gujerat): destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni, but restored, 2. 476